In its 16th year, the La Jolla Historical Society’s Secret Garden Tour of La Jolla has come a long way from the cup of coffee Susan Vandendriesse and I had to discuss how we could bring more awareness to the La Jolla Historical Society. Today, we are both pleased to see that the tour has become a much loved and anticipated perennial event that attracts hundreds of people to La Jolla each spring to enjoy our beautiful scenery and learn about our community’s rich history.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 17th, this year's tour promises to be another memorable event that allows you to wander through the private garden gates of some of La Jolla's most cherished secret gardens. As in past years, the tour will offer a potpourri of hand-tended gardens adorned with designers' touches, live music from a variety of musicians and artists painting memorable garden scenes.

This year's poster features the painting, "Garden Joy" by artist Sharon Hinckley. Each year, a painting is chosen to grace the following year's poster - a long tradition that began with artist Pati Sofia, who painted whimsical La Jolla garden scenes for the tour’s first three tour posters.

Last year, Susan Vandendriesse organized a successful garden boutique on the grounds of Wisteria Cottage and it will return again this year. The boutique is open to the public and will offer garden related items for sale, as well as handmade lanterns, vintage and new furniture, shell art, jewelry, herb and edible garden containers and of course chickens - the perfect addition to a sustainable urban garden. When you stop by the boutique you will also be able to see all the wonderful changes that have taken place at historic Wisteria Cottage, the Society's new headquarters.

The tradition of the Secret Garden Tour has been to keep the garden locations a closely guarded secret until the day of the tour, but here is a little peek into what the tour has in store for you ... This year's gardens beautifully demonstrate how gardens are ever-changing works of art that always seem to be evolving. Our changing lifestyles, children, grandchildren, pets, interest in health, the environment, as well as our weather, have all had profound effects on both garden design and how we care for them. In each garden you will see how the gardeners have dealt with some of these changes and how their gardens have evolved with them.

Reservations are available for either the self-guided tour, or Platinum Tour. The Platinum Tour offers brunch at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, docent-guided shuttle service to the gardens and the tour of a special garden open to Platinum patrons only. Reservations for both tours can be made online at the Society's website: www.lajollahistory.org or call them at (858) 459-5335.

Linda is a local Realtor, who specializes in historic & architectural properties and she is a member of the City of San Diego's Historical Resources Board. A co-founder of the Secret Garden Tour, her garden was featured on the 2001 tour. Take a tour of Linda's garden on www.LindaMarrone.com.

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